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“Save the pep talk, sis. My life’s okay these days. I’m not living like a monk.”
Lou’s expression immediately brightened. “Really? Do tell.”
What could he say? That he’d finally met a woman who’d caught his attention? That she hadn’t really given him the time of day? That she lived clear over in Raleigh and hadn’t been to Sand Castle Bay in weeks? That his only contact was through her meddling grandmother’s reports? Yeah, like that would reassure his sister.
“I’ll fill you in when there’s something to tell,” he said eventually. He stood. “Now, I think I’ll take off.”
Lou regarded him with surprise. “You’re not staying for dinner?”
“Not tonight. I’ve been working on a new carving. I’d like to get back to it.”
“And you can’t put that off for an hour to have some spaghetti with your family?” she inquired skeptically. “You’re not fooling me, Wade Johnson. You’re trying to get away from my prying.”
He smiled. “Then let that be a lesson to you,” he advised. “Stop prying.”
She stood and wrapped her arms around him. “Never. You’re my brother and I love you. It’s my job to worry about you and pester you and make sure you’re happy.”
“I’m happy enough,” he assured her. “Stop worrying.”
As he drove away, he spotted his brother-in-law pulling into the parking spot he’d just vacated and gave Zack a wave. Lucky son of a gun, he thought. He wondered if Zack knew what a blessing that family of his was and how much Wade envied him.
But despite this attraction he’d felt toward Gabriella Castle, he wondered if he’d ever have the courage to risk the kind of pain he’d been through with his first marriage. Could a man even survive that kind of loss more than once in his life?
* * *
Since it was midday when Gabi arrived on the coast, she drove straight to Castle’s by the Sea. She knew that’s where she’d find her grandmother and, more than likely, Emily, who bit by bit was transforming the restaurant’s decor. Her efforts were progressing at a snail’s pace because their grandmother was resistant to change and because Emily was spending more and more time back in Los Angeles on a project near and dear to her heart.
It was close to two when Gabi arrived. Since Castle’s served only breakfast and lunch, the crowd had already thinned out, and the door had been locked to keep new customers from entering after closing. Gabi walked around to the side deck, then slipped into the kitchen.
As she’d expected, her sister was tucked in the tiny office with fabric samples. Gabi poked her head in. “Any luck on selling the idea of new upholstery for the booths?” she asked.
A frustrated look spread across Emily’s face for just an instant, but then she was on her feet, enveloping Gabi in a hug. “A baby? How exciting!”
Gabi blinked. “You know already?”
“Samantha filled us in when she called last night. She thought it might be easier if you didn’t have to break the news yourself.”
“Really?” Gabi said doubtfully. “Or was she trying to line up you and Cora Jane to be on her side?”
“I didn’t know there were sides,” Emily said, her expression a pitiful attempt at innocence. Samantha the actress could have pulled it off, but Emily failed miserably.
“I’m considering putting the baby up for adoption. Samantha disapproves. Does that ring any bells?”
“She might have mentioned it,” Emily said. “But let’s not get into that now. I’m just so glad you’re here. Boone and I have news.”
“You’ve finally set a wedding date,” Gabi guessed, knowing that had been the hot topic since before Christmas.
Emily nodded happily. “June 2. Surprisingly, I suddenly realized that I want a traditional June wedding.” She shrugged. “Or maybe that’s what Grandmother really wants. Anyway, that’s the date. I think you and Samantha will look stunning in pastel dresses. I took that into consideration, too.”
“You do realize I’ll be very, very pregnant by then. Are you sure the aisle will be wide enough for me?”
“We’ll take out the pews on one side if it’s not. I’ll talk to Wade about it.”
Gabi’s gaze narrowed at the second deliberate mention of his name in two days. “Wade?”
“He is a master carpenter, after all,” Emily said blithely. “He pops in from time to time, looking for you, I think. Grandmother thinks so, too.”
Gabi shook her head as she rested a hand on her very visible baby bump. “It’s an odd time to be matchmaking, don’t you think?”
“Not matchmaking,” Emily insisted. “I’m just saying he’s around, eager to make himself useful. Actually, it could be he’s courting Grandmother. He does seem to be excessively fond of her pies.”
“Whatever,” Gabi said. “I’d better go into the dining room and face the music. Just how upset is Grandmother about all this?”
“Her eyes lit up when she heard the news,” Emily said. “If you were expecting shock and disapproval, I think you’ll be disappointed. She’s always been on our side no matter what mistakes we’ve made.” She covered her mouth, her expression immediately filled with regret. “Not that the baby is a mistake, Gabi. I didn’t mean that. You know I didn’t.”
Gabriella hugged her sister. “I know you didn’t. And amazingly, all things considered, I never once thought of it that way, either. Even if I do decide to give the baby up for adoption, it will be a blessing for a family who desperately wants a child.”
Even as she said the words, though, there was another of those little fluttery sensations in her stomach that made her heart catch in her throat. It had been one thing to make the whole adoption decision early on. She’d been furious with Paul, even more furious with herself. The baby hadn’t been real to her. Now it was.
And that, she suspected, was going to seriously complicate her determination to do the right thing.
2
Wade told himself he was stopping by Castle’s almost every afternoon for a slice of whatever homemade pie Cora Jane had on the menu, but the truth was he was here because it was usually served with a mention or two of Gabriella. Hoping for tidbits of news about a woman he hardly knew, a woman who’d held herself aloof from him, was pitiful. No question about it. But given his lack of a social life of any kind since the deaths of his wife and baby, he considered this unrequited fascination to be progress on his long road to recovery.
He’d taken two bites of today’s excellent peach pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top when the kitchen door opened and Gabi herself walked through it, then came to a dead stop. Wade came close to swallowing his tongue at the sight of her. She was every bit as beautiful as he’d remembered. She was also very obviously pregnant, a situation not even her loose-fitting T-shirt could hide. If anything, on her petite frame, the shirt only emphasized the baby bump.
Now that was a turn of events he hadn’t anticipated. His heart thumped unsteadily as too many memories came crowding in, memories of Kayla at this stage of her pregnancy, the way she’d glowed, the excitement they’d shared. It had been such a blissfully happy time, only to be shattered by tragedy and inconceivable loss.
He dragged his thoughts away from the dark past and drank in the sight of Gabi, who despite her natural beauty couldn’t hide her bone-deep weariness. A natural protectiveness kicked in. Before he could stop himself, Wade was already considering ways to take care of her. It was ironic, really, since of all the women he’d ever known other than his sister, Gabriella was the most independent and capable. That didn’t seem to matter to this knight-in-shining-armor side of his nature.
Then he was struck by another, far more disturbing thought. Had Gabi gotten married? Surely that was something Cora Jane would have mentioned, rather than encouraging Wade’s interest in her with a litany of less-than-subtle hints. Nor could he imagine why Cora Jane hadn’t mentioned the pregnancy to him, since she knew perfectly well he’d been hanging around not for pie, but for scraps of information about her granddaughter. Was it possible this was going to be news to her, too?
He noted that Gabi still hadn’t budged. Her eyes could be adjusting to the dim lighting, but it seemed to him she was actually reluctant to step into the dining room. He guessed she wasn’t looking forward to seeing Cora Jane. After she’d hesitated for what seemed like an eternity, she finally drew in a deep breath, then walked briskly into the room, an expression of grim determination on her face.
“Looking for Cora Jane?” Wade inquired when Gabi would have walked right past him.
She gave a startled little gasp, then managed a halfhearted smile. “Wade! I didn’t see you there.”
“And I wasn’t expecting to see you today, either,” he said, then cast a pointed look at her tummy. “Guess we’re both full of surprises. Who’s the lucky daddy?”
She visibly flinched at the question. “Unfortunately, the daddy doesn’t consider himself to be all that lucky. Haven’t seen him since I broke the news.”
She said it blithely, as if the man’s irresponsible behavior was no big deal, but Wade detected the hint of hurt in her eyes.
“The man’s a fool,” he declared with feeling. “You know that, don’t you?”
“There’s a growing consensus about that,” she admitted.
His gaze narrowed. He might as well ferret out the whole truth here and now. There’d been mention of a boyfriend back in August, but when the man had never shown his face, Wade had been as skeptical about the relationship as her sisters clearly were. They’d been pretty outspoken on the subject, though usually out of Gabi’s hearing. While he’d worked on custom cabinetry, he’d kept one ear tuned to their conversations, especially whenever Gabi’s name came up. Okay, sure, there were rules about eavesdropping, but come on, this was Gabi and he was just a little bit infatuated with her. Was he supposed to tell them to lower the volume a notch?
“Were you in love with him?” he asked, keeping his tone neutral and his gaze on her face.
He saw the surprise in her eyes before she slid into the booth opposite him.
“You know you’re the first person to ask me that.”
“Seems like an obvious question to me,” he said. “Or did your family know better all along?”
She smiled at that. “I think they did. Samantha said she knew he was a jerk when he wasn’t here helping out after the storm. I’m not sure why I was still making excuses for him then. I imagine on some level I knew he would never really fit in.”
Wade nodded. “So, what’s your plan? Before you try to deny having one, remember that the word around here is that you started making plans in grade school and never lost the habit.”
She chuckled. “Actually, it was high school, but point taken. Amazingly, though, I’m still figuring things out. I got hit with too many unexpected changes all at once. A baby, the discovery that my significant other is a jerk, losing my job.”
Wade whistled. “You lost your job, too? Talk about a trifecta, and not the winning kind.”
“My boss wasn’t impressed with my moral character.”
Thus that weariness he’d noticed, he concluded. Wade was surprised she looked as good as she did with that many blows all landing at once. He suspected she’d come to Sand Castle Bay to spend time with the family and heal, but this might be his one and only opportunity to show her that not all men were idiots.
“You know what you need?” he declared, impulsively seizing a moment that might never come his way again.
“Aside from a plan?” she asked wryly.
“That’ll come,” he said with confidence. “You need dinner and a movie. It’ll take your mind off everything. How about tomorrow night? I’ll pick you up at six, unless you’d like to go for an early bird special. I remember when Kayla...” He tripped over the mention of his wife’s name, shifted gears. “When Lou was pregnant,” he corrected hurriedly, “all she wanted to do was sleep.”
“Lou? Your wife?”
He laughed at the disapproving expression that accompanied her question. “Not all of us are jerks, sweetheart,” he said, glad he’d not opened the whole sad tale about his wife. “Don’t you remember Louise, my big sister? She has five kids now, all of them little hellions, which if you ask me is exactly what she deserves for all the grief she gave me when we were kids.”
Her expression brightened. “Of course I remember Louise. Five kids? Wow! I thought she planned to be a lawyer.”
“She did and she is. The two of you are a lot alike, both driven. Not much gets in the way of what you want. I’ll have to get the two of you together. She can tell you what to expect when your baby turns your life upside down.”
“This baby’s already accomplished that,” Gabi reminded him.
“So, about dinner? Will six o’clock work?” he pressed, determined not to let this opportunity slip away. In his opinion, Gabi not only needed family right now, she needed a friendly, impartial ear. He could provide that.
A frown settled on her face. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, Wade,” she said. “My life’s just too unsettled.”
“And you think if you stay home tomorrow night and concentrate real hard, you’ll figure everything out?” he asked skeptically.
“No, but’”
“Okay, then. I’ll see you at six,” he said, sliding out of the booth and dropping a casual kiss on her forehead. “Don’t even think about standing me up. I have allies.”
He could tell by her resigned expression that she knew exactly who those allies were. Maybe if she hadn’t taken so many hits recently, she’d have fought him harder. As it was, she merely sighed.
“See you at six,” she said, then glowered at him. “I want my own bucket of popcorn.”
He grinned. “Of course you do.”
He couldn’t seem to stop smiling as he paid Cora Jane, who’d remained suspiciously out of sight during his entire exchange with Gabi.
As she handed him his change, she threw in a piece of advice free of charge. “You hurt that girl and there will be no place around here for you to hide,” she said. It was a pretty fierce warning from a woman who stood five foot two in her sneakers.
“Got it,” he told her somberly, dropping a kiss on her cheek. “No worries.”
“If I didn’t believe that, you wouldn’t have spent five seconds alone with her just now,” she said, proving that her avoidance of his table had been deliberate. “Not when she’s this vulnerable.”
“You want to come along tomorrow night to chaperone?” he asked, only half in jest.
“Don’t think I wouldn’t do just that, Wade Johnson, if I didn’t think you’re going to be exactly what she needs. Don’t prove me wrong.”
“Understood.”
Even more than Cora Jane probably realized. He’d seen for himself just how fragile Gabi was. Seeing her like that when he knew firsthand the sort of confident, successful woman she’d been just a few months ago had made him want to smash his fist into something. That idiotic ex’s jaw came to mind as the perfect starting point.
* * *
Cora Jane found Gabriella exactly where Wade had left her. She looked as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. Cora Jane leaned down and pressed a kiss to her cheek before nudging her over to make room beside her in the booth. Cora Jane settled close, then cupped Gabi’s chin in her hand.
“You doing okay, honey bun?”
To her shock, Gabi took one look at her and burst into tears.
“Everything’s such a mess,” she said with a moan. “I know you already know, because Samantha has a big mouth, so you can’t deny that I’ve really screwed up this time.”
Cora Jane gathered her close and let her cry herself out. She’d thought long and hard since hearing the news about the best way to handle it. Nothing, though, had quite prepared her for the self-derision she was hearing in Gabi’s voice. When Gabi’s tears had dried, she looked directly into her eyes.
“Now, then, young lady, you listen to me and listen good,” she said in a tone intended to catch Gabi’s attention. “You’re having a baby, which from here on out we’re all going to think of as the blessing it is. You broke up with a man who obviously didn’t deserve you. You lost a demanding job that was draining the life out of you. And you’re here with family who’s ready to love you and support you in any way you need. I plan to see only the good in all that. I suggest you do the same.”
A watery smile formed on Gabi’s face. “I always thought I got my ability to put a good face on things from Mom, but it was you.”
Cora Jane smiled and squeezed her hand. “I have my moments,” she said modestly. “Now let’s back up a minute. Tell me how you’re feeling, physically, not emotionally.”
“Tired,” Gabi admitted.
“Then you’re in the right place. You can sleep as late as you want while you’re here.”
Gabi looked startled. “You aren’t going to insist I come to Castle’s at the crack of dawn for the bakery deliveries?”
Cora Jane chuckled, fully aware that her granddaughters all hated the early-morning demands of running a restaurant that served breakfast starting at 6:00 a.m. “Not this week, anyway,” she responded. “Next week, we’ll see how you’re doing. I want you to concentrate on getting plenty of rest, fresh air and exercise right now.”
“I love you,” Gabi said, leaning against her.
“I love you, too, and this baby you’re carrying. Now, Samantha just called from the house. She arrived a few minutes ago and has started dinner. Let’s get Emily and head home, put our feet up and relax. Tonight we’re going to focus on Emily and Boone’s wedding. Tomorrow will be soon enough to tackle everything else.”
Gabi smiled. “You sound as if we can fix my life up in an afternoon.”
“Maybe not in an afternoon,” Cora Jane conceded. “But it seems to me tomorrow evening might get things rolling.”
Her granddaughter frowned at her. “Wade Johnson is not the answer,” she said forcefully.
Cora Jane didn’t argue. Instead, she simply smiled at Gabi’s emphatic declaration. “I suppose we’ll have to wait and see, won’t we?”
“Grandmother!”
“Come along,” Cora Jane urged. “Emily’s found the perfect wedding dress. I can’t wait for you girls to see it.”
“Emily has also found an excellent fabric for the booths in here,” Gabi said slyly. “You don’t seem nearly as enthusiastic about that.”
“This old vinyl has served us well for a lot of years,” Cora Jane said with a huff.
“Which explains why it has cigarette burns from the days when smoking was allowed and tears from rambunctious kids,” Gabi countered.
“Your grandfather picked it out,” Cora Jane argued, unexpected tears welling up in her eyes. “Every detail in here was the way Caleb wanted it.”
Gabi stopped and stared at her. “It’s because of Granddad you don’t want to change? Not because you’re being stubborn?”
Cora Jane chuckled. “Well, of course I’m being stubborn, but I’m nostalgic, too. It wouldn’t feel right to come in here and see things changed too much. I know your grandfather’s gone, but sometimes when I walk in here, I expect to see him coming out of the kitchen or catch a glimpse of him just outside on the deck.”
“You need to tell Emily that,” Gabi said. “She thinks you’re just dismissing everything she suggests without a second’s thought. It hurts her feelings.”
Cora Jane sighed. “I know that. I guess I thought she’d figure it out when I kept balking.”
“None of us are mind readers,” Gabi said. “Not even you.”
“I’ll try to remember that.”
Gabi studied her worriedly. “How does Jerry feel when you get all nostalgic about Granddad?” she asked, referring to the restaurant’s longtime cook, who’d become a lot more to Cora Jane since Caleb’s death.
“He understands, or says he does,” Cora Jane said. “It may not make sense to someone your age, but in a way it’s him knowing your grandfather that’s made it easier for us to be together. He doesn’t expect more than I’m ready to give. He knows I had one huge love in my life.” She smiled. “And now I’m blessed to have a dear friend by my side.”
“Just a friend?” Gabi asked.
Cora Jane chuckled. “That’s all I’m admitting to, young lady, and all you need to know. Some things are meant to be kept private.”
Gabi laughed. “I hope you’ll remember that and stop pushing Wade and me together.”
Cora Jane was so happy to see some color in her granddaughter’s cheeks at the mention of Wade, she decided to leave well enough alone, at least for now.
“No meddling,” she promised, then amended to herself, unless she saw a need for it.
* * *
Emily slanted a worried look in Gabi’s direction. “Are you sure you’re up for this? Maybe we should focus on you tonight,” she said after they’d finished dinner and were settled in the living room. They were drinking herbal tea out of respect for Gabi’s pregnancy, though normally by now Samantha would have made a pitcher of something a whole lot stronger. Cora Jane had pleaded an early morning and gone to bed, leaving them to spend the evening together. It was a sign of just how well she knew them and understood their need for sisterly bonding.
“Please, my situation is not going to change anytime soon,” Gabi told her. “Tomorrow’s soon enough. I want to see this wedding dress Grandmother’s been raving about.”
Emily’s eyes lit up. “It’s absolutely gorgeous. I found it on Rodeo Drive. I have a couple of fittings yet to do, but I have pictures.” She whipped her cell phone out of her purse and clicked on a series of shots showing the dress from every angle.
“Oh, my God, it’s gorgeous,” Samantha breathed with genuine awe in her voice.
Gabi grinned. “You’re going to look like an elegant princess, and here I was hoping you’d have all these ruffles and layers of lace so we could giggle behind your back.”
“Ha, ha,” Emily said. “As if I’d ever be caught dead in a dress like that. I’m understated all the way.”
“Which means our bridesmaid dresses are, too?” Gabi inquired hopefully. “We’re not going to look like something from Gone with the Wind, are we? Add in my pregnancy, and I’d look like a wayward balloon from the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade.”
“I wouldn’t do that to you,” Emily said. “Even if I can’t have you two looking more beautiful than I do that day.”
“What do you care what we look like?” Samantha asked. “Boone only has eyes for you.”
Emily grinned. “Yeah, he does,” she said with satisfaction.
“Where is he, by the way?” Gabi asked. “He did come with you, didn’t he?”
“He took B.J. over to see Jodie and Frank tonight. To give the man credit, he’s determined to see that his son has a relationship with his grandparents despite everything they did to make Boone’s life miserable.”
“And yours,” Samantha said. “Have they accepted that the two of you are getting married?”
Emily’s expression fell. “I think Frank’s okay with it, but Jodie?” She shook her head. “She’s going to blame me forever for ruining her daughter’s life.”
“Which you didn’t do,” Gabi said loyally. “You were completely out of the picture when Boone and Jenny were married.”
“Jodie doesn’t seem to give two hoots about reality,” Emily said wearily. “It’s sad, really. I almost feel sorry for her.”
“Save your pity,” Gabi said. “She seems to enjoy clinging to her misery over Jenny’s death.”
“Jenny was her daughter,” Samantha said with sympathy. “Of course she’s going to grieve for her.”
“She just doesn’t have to take it out on everyone around her, that’s all I’m saying,” Gabi countered.
“Okay, enough,” Emily said. “Here are the dresses I have in mind for you. If you hate them, I have backups. And you can pick the colors, though I think Gabi would look beautiful in a pale sage-green and you’d look fantastic in soft yellow, Samantha.”
She handed over her cell phone.
“Oooh,” Gabi whispered. “They’re gorgeous.” She handed the phone to her sister.
Samantha’s eyes widened. “Absolutely perfect.”
Unbidden tears welled up in Gabi’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks before she could stop them. “I wish I weren’t going to look like a blimp,” she whispered with a sniff. “By June 2, I’ll be lucky if I don’t go into labor in the middle of the ceremony.”